The Painted Veil

Still raining so another excuse to spend the morning at the movies.

The Painted Veil tells the story of a British couple in China. They are tied to each other in a loveless marriage and stuck in a remote and hostile environment in 1920s China.

Based on a novel by W Somerset Maugham the film is a scenic drama of manners and relationships. On the face of it the casting seems somewhat bizarre. Edward Norton and Liev Schreiber play pukka Englishmen and Diana Rigg is a French nun. But they carry it off well.

The film requires little thought and one can lie back and enjoy the scenery (or think of England, if you prefer).

Apart from the Chinese peasants (and there are lots of those in the background) everyone else is dressed immaculately. Edward Norton cuts a dashing figure and if you happen to like them lean like I do then I must say that he has a fine arse.